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Product: Notebook carrying case
Developer: Speck
Accommodates: Up to a 15” MacBook Pro or similar-sized notebook
Price: $89.95
Availability: Now

In for review is a new bag from Speck called the CorePack Notebook Bag.  This is a large bag with room for up to a 15 inch laptop and pretty much all of the gadgets and electronics you would need to carry with you…and a few you don’t.

Now that I’ve been carrying this bag around for a while, it’s time for a review. But first, I need to admit that after getting this bag I almost completely lost all interest in it. Originally, I was drawn in by the styling (which is highly appealing) and really, the size. I already have a smaller bag that is more appropriate for me and my everyday needs. This one’s bigger, so I can fit more stuff in it.

My other bag can fit my notebook, its power supply, and a couple of very small accessories; like a mouse and some headphones. That’s pretty much it, and it bulges a bit to do that. This bag, on the other hand, can fit so much more. There are two sections: one houses your notebook, and the bigger compartment houses your stuff.

The notebook compartment is essentially separate from the “stuff” compartment. For those of you who frequent airport security, your notebook is easily accessible. It’s also very well padded, with almost an inch of padding on all sides. I wouldn’t recommend dropping your notebook ever, under any circumstances, but this bag protects your investment better than almost any other fabric bag I’ve seen. On the inside is a microfiber material that is soft and gentle on your notebook, which is really what you want to see.

The bigger (or “stuff”) compartment has tons of sections inside of it. There are pockets and zippers everywhere to help keep your stuff organized. Actually, there may be too many pockets, compartments, sections and zippers. But it’s nice to have choices, and it’s not like most of them are taking away space from the inside of the bag. You don’t have to use them, but they’re there in case you’d like to.

The interior of these compartments is a durable material (nylon I believe) that is ideal for sliding things in and out of. The bottom of the bag has what I believe are rubber feet. These help to protect your stuff from what you set it on, and prevents your bag material from wearing through…though the material feels very durable, so I wouldn’t worry about that.  The strap also comes with a thick shoulder pad. It’s comfy.

The biggest issue I have with this bag is the shoulder strap attachments. There are strap ends sewn into the bag between the front and back compartments. There’s actually a gap. These ends can be directed two ways, to the outside or straight up. The idea is for you to have them configured oppositely. You’ll choose which one is which by the shoulder you’d like to carry it on. The first problem is that it’s not easy to change, the second is that I don’t want to. The straps are hard to find, grab and pivot, and they aren’t long enough.

Another issue with this bag is the plastic clasp that holds the front flap down.  It’s extremely easy to lose.  Mine was probably swept up off of the Moscone center’s floor and thrown away weeks ago, but I’m honestly not sure.

I requested a replacement for my clasp, and actually had great difficulty in getting it. Eventually, I was sent a part in a ridiculously oversized shipping box. Sadly, it wasn’t the right part. Since then, I’ve talked with the guys at Speck, and thankfully, this oversized box business is not their normal policy. Apparently they’ve been pretty busy, and had some mix ups with my replacement part. So if you need a replacement part, it will be easier for you than it was for me. I was also told that I got one of the earliest versions of this bag; the later ones have a more reinforced strap to hold on to the part that I lost. Good to know.

Now, I’ve got two ideas for this bag. First, I wish the shoulder straps were less configurable. Put them on the corners, and they never need to be changed. I don’t need to reconfigure my shoulder strap for each shoulder.

My second idea is this. Since the bag already separates the notebook from the bigger compartment, why not make it fully detachable? It’s nice to have a ton of space, but not all of the time. I’d love for that to be an option, not a necessity. You’d have the best of both worlds in one package. A large bag that becomes smaller when you need to only carry your notebook.

Overall, this is an excellent bag. I can say I’m honestly surprised, because I didn’t think I was going to like it. But if you’re in the market for a larger notebook bag, you could do much worse. I’d still like to see the changes I’ve stated above, and maybe some more designs. But even without them, this is a decent bag, especially if you need the extra space.